The present invention relates to a communication apparatus for communication networks, particularly for private communication networks, whereby incoming calls, within the communication network, are distributed to a switching equipment unit of the communication apparatus by unit of a call distribution means and the calls applied to the switching equipment units are accepted by the switching equipment units and are potentially forwarded to a desired user of the communication network.
As known, switching equipments (also referred to as attendant consoles) are utilized for purposes of switching calls for users of a communication network, particularly of a private communication network.
At least one call distribution unit (also referred to as a call allocator), whose task it is to organize the incoming calls according to specific criteria and to distribute to a corresponding switching equipment unit, is provided in the communication network. In particular, the call distribution unit allocates the incoming calls, according to a FIFO principle (i.e. according to a call holding principle), to the corresponding switching equipment unit. The call distribution unit can comprise a plurality of queues (sub-queues), which are respectively responsible for calls of different priorities, whereby the call distribution unit processes the calls of the queue with the highest priority, the second highest priority etc. and successively applies the corresponding calls to the corresponding switching equipment unit.
Each of the switching equipment units has an operator console that comprises a plurality of interrogating keys, which different call types are allocated (such as trunk call, internal call etc.). The respective call, depending on its call type, is automatically allocated to the corresponding interrogating key of the operator console when the call distribution unit forwards a call, which operator console indicates a pending call by units of blinking, for example. Subsequently, the switching person can accept the respective call by means of pressing the corresponding interrogating key and, corresponding to the desires of the caller, can forward it to a user of the communication network.
Each interrogating key of the operator console has a control unit allocated (sub-unit), which is formed by a software function of the system software and whereby the call distribution means automatically applies the corresponding call to it and which comprises a corresponding software, as well as a corresponding database. Each control unit processes the key events of the corresponding interrogating key and represents a logical interrogating unit in addition to the interrogating key that serves as a physical interrogating unit.
The following problems can occur with the previously described communication apparatus or, respectively, switching equipment unit. As it has already been described above, a corresponding control unit (sub-unit, logical interrogating unit) is respectively allocated to each interrogating key (physical interrogating unit), which serves the purpose of answering or, respectively, accepting a call of a corresponding call type. When a call of the corresponding call type (call status) has been allocated by unit of the call distribution unit (call allocator), this control unit, as well as the corresponding interrogating key is blocked for further calls of the same call type until the accepted call has been forwarded. Further calls of the same call type cannot be allocated by the call distribution unit of this control unit and therefore must remain in a waiting status until the corresponding control unit has become free, even when the waiting calls have a higher priority than the currently accepted call. Generally, the priorities for the individual calls can be configured in the communication apparatus, i.e. that they can be prescribed by means of programming. Calls of higher priority can be emergency calls or secondary calls; here, particularly calls that are taken back after switching errors.
Besides, the need to switch calls, which have been erroneously switched to a wrong user by the switching equipment, back to the switching equipment again and therefore to take them back in order to subsequently switch these calls anew to the correct user is present with respect to the known communication apparatuses, particularly regarding the last mentioned call type. On principle, this is only possible up to a point at which the called user has not yet accepted the call. After the incorrectly switched call has been taken back, the incorrectly switched call is to be promptly connected again to the same switching equipment, namely to the attendant console via which the call has been erroneously switched before.
A solution for the previously described problem of incorrectly switched calls is already known; however, said solution is based on different system and hardware conditions compared to the present invention. The communication apparatus of this know solution does not comprise the call holding principle, as it is with respect to the communication apparatus corresponding the present invention. Instead, a plurality of keys are provided at the switching equipment unit, whereby a first type of keys automatically signalize incoming calls by means of blinking (potentially at the same time). Further, a second type of keys is provided, which serve as interrogating unit in the sense of the switching equipment units according to the present invention. For purposes of switching a pending call, the switching person can accept the corresponding call by means of pressing upon a blinking first key and can allocate it to one of the second keys. In contrast to the communication apparatus of the type described above, which is relevant for the present invention, the switching person therefore has a,selection possibilityxe2x80x94which call is allocated to which interrogating keyxe2x80x94with respect to, this species of the known communication apparatus. This selection possibility is not present with respect to the communication apparatus according to the type, since the call distribution unit (call allocator), depending on the corresponding call type, automatically allocates each call here to the corresponding interrogating key of the operator console of the switching equipment unit. Given the previously described known communication apparatus, it is possible to take calls back after switching errors, whereby a call that is taken back is directly switched to a free second key by means of the system. This is particularly possible with respect to this solution, since the second keys are not automatically occupied by incoming calls, so that the previously described problems basically do not occur here.
Therefore, the present invention is based on the object of creating a communication apparatus of the type described above, namely a communication apparatus, wherein the interrogating units are automatically occupied with calls; wherein waiting times can be avoided for calls of higher priority. The retrieval of incorrectly switched calls is to be particularly possible with the aid of this communication apparatus.
According to the invention, a communication apparatus is provided for a communication network. At least one switching equipment unit is provided in order to accept calls within the communication network and in order to forward the accepted calls to a desired user of the communication network. At least one call distribution is provided in order to distribute incoming calls within the communication network to the at least one switching equipment unit, whereby the switching equipment unit comprises a first control unit, the call distribution unit automatically applying calls of lower priority thereto, a second control unit whereby the call distribution unit automatically applies calls of higher priority thereto, and a call acceptance unit allocated to the first and second control units, said call acceptance unit, when actuated, accepting a call that is pending at the second control unit, or, when no call is pending at the second control unit, the call acceptance unit accepting a call that is pending at the first control unit.
According to the present invention, at least two control units are allocated to the individual call acceptance units or, interrogating units, whereby the one control units are responsible for calls of low priority and the other control units are responsible for calls of higher priority. The call acceptance units are together allocated to the individual control units and can be particularly formed in the form of interrogating keys with light-emitting diodes, which blink when a corresponding call is pending. Further, each pending call can be displayed in the display of the switching equipment or, of the corresponding operator console.
The call distribution units of the inventive communication apparatus distributes the incoming calls to the individual switching equipments units, whereby the callers are advantageously allocated to the corresponding first or second control units depending on the respective call type. A call that is pending for an interrogating key at the switching equipment unit is, for example, visually displayed for the switching person, whereby the switching person can accept the call of the corresponding call type by means of operating the interrogating key. What is achieved by means of the inventively proposed utilization of two separate control units is that the call that is pending at the control unit, which is responsible for calls of higher priority, is automatically through-connected when an interrogating key is operated, whereas a call that is pending at the control unit, which is responsible for calls of lower priority, is only connected when a call of higher priority is not pending. Thus, the waiting time for calls of higher priority can be significantly reduced.
According to a version of the present invention, the switching equipment can be informed of all pending calls of the switching equipment unit, the display or a graphic operating surface. In particular, this is the case for all calls of higher priority. Subsequently, the switching equipment unit can accept the desired call via a keyboard or a mouse etc. and can potentially forward it.
Besides, the design of the communication apparatus of the present invention makes it possible to rapidly take incorrectly connected calls back to the switching equipment unit before the called user has accepted the call, since, in this case, the call that is taken back is promptly switched again to the corresponding control unit, which is responsible for calls of higher priority, by means of operating a corresponding call retrieval key, so that the call that is taken back can be promptly connected to the switching person.
The proposed solution of the invention basically makes it possible to take over the existing communication apparatus mainly unchanged, and the realization can occur by a simple adaptation of the software. The existing operator surface for purposes of interrogating pending calls can be kept unchanged, whereby great flexibility is guaranteed at the switching equipment unit with respect to the switching of calls, although a relatively small number of keys are utilized.
The invention is subsequently explained in greater detail on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments upon reference to the enclosed drawing.